Transportation

ATLANTA -- If you commute on I-85 you have probably already seen the new signs going up to mark express toll lanes. A lot of people are asking questions about how they will work. We try to answer some of those questions with help from the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA).

Q: When will the new express lanes be open?

A: The SRTA, which manages the lanes, says they should be open by the end of summer. Hopefully they will be completed by the end of August but it may be September before they are open.

Q: How will the express lanes work?

A: Everyone who is planning to use the toll lanes will have to get a Peach Pass from the SRTA.
If you have three or more people in your car you won't pay anything. If you have one or two people in your car you will have to pay a toll that will be determined by the amount of traffic on the highway.
You won't be able to use the express lanes without a Peach Pass.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – There are tons of fun events going on this weekend, in your area. We’ve listed a few of them for you to check out with your family and friends.

The Gwinnett Braves will host a 5K Family Fun run at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville. The run will begin at 8:00 a.m. and is followed by a one mile family fun run that starts ten minutes later. This run will benefit the American Cancer Society and will cost $30. Participants will, also, get a free ticket to the Saturday matchup against the Toledo Mud Hens.

Norcross Police are inviting you to take part in a 5k run that begins at 8:00 a.m. The run will be called "Cops Helping Unique Kids" or CHUK. The $20 registration fee will go to the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation. There is also a free run and walk that will happen at 10:00 a.m. and a family festival at Thrashers Park.

Hall County, GA-- (submitted by Hall County) THUNDER Taskforce operations in Hall County and the City of Gainesville have officially passed the halfway point in this life-saving ninety-day traffic safety initiative. Enforcement officers here wrote 448 tickets to unbuckled drivers and another 28 citations to careless parents who didn’t buckle-up their kids in child safety seats. Officers issued 64 more seatbelt warning citations as legal reminders for drivers to “Click It Or Ticket”.

“That’s more than 540 potential crash victims who get a second chance to save the lives of those they love by simply buckling a safetybelt,” said Director Harris Blackwood of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). “And that means 540 Hall County families who will now double their chances of surviving a highway tragedy,” said Blackwood. GOHS crash data shows unbuckled drivers and passengers, top the list of proven deadly crash factors in Gainesville and Hall County, followed by DUI and speed.

The Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization is currently developing the 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, which provides an opportunity to evaluate and identify transportation solutions in our rapidly growing community. As a part of this planning process, a second public meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 8, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Georgia Mountains Center, 301 Main Street SW, Gainesville. Please attend this important meeting to share your thoughts and ideas about topics such as the following:

Gainesville, GA-- This Road Closure was submitted by the City of Gainesville.

Youngblood Road Closed Jan. 24-31

Youngblood RoadWILL BE CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC BETWEENS.R. 53 (Winder Highway)ANDCountryside Drive BEGINNING Monday, January 24, 2011 TO COMPLETE SEWER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREA. Youngblood Road IS SCHEDULED TO REOPEN Monday, January 31, 2011 BUT THIS DATE IS WEATHER DEPENDENT.

PLEASE DRIVE CAREFULLY AND WATCH FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND EQUIPMENT IN THE AREA.

All the roads in Metro Atlanta are open today. You need to pack a huge load of patience while you get going though. There are many delays out there. For details on particular routes, check http://11alive.com/traffic.

ALL INTERSTATES & MAIN ROUTES are open.

The left lanes have ice in them. Stay out of those left lanes. Assume that all overpasses have ice on them; many have glaze ice that you will not be able to see until you are on them.

ALL of the on and off ramps have ice in them. Approach them slowly and carefully. If you speed onto an offramp or try to turn suddenly, you will slide and crash.

ARTERIAL/MAIN STREETS --

All have some ice on them. Most with three lanes ordinarily are down to two; most with two lanes regularly, are down to one lane.

ATLANTA (AP) - A group of state lawmakers from north Fulton County are asking the state not to extend tolls on Ga. 400 for another decade.

High-ranking legislators from north Fulton County on Friday asked the state to reverse its decision to extend the Ga. 400 toll until 2020. House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones said legislators are exploring whether they can cancel the toll themselves with a new law.

In addition to Jones, signers of the letter to the state Transportation Board include House Majority Whip Edward Lindsey, House Judiciary Chairman Wendell Willard and House Ethics Chairman Joe Wilkinson.

They also sent a copy of the letter to Gov. Sonny Perdue and Gov.-elect Nathan Deal.

The State Road and Tollway Authority voted in September to extend the toll.